Thursday, May 28, 2009

Major General Antonio Taguba - the former army officer who conducted an inquiry into the Abu Ghraib prison abuse in Iraq - told the Telegraph that the photographs which Obama is refusing to release show:

At least one picture shows an American soldier apparently raping a female prisoner while another is said to show a male translator raping a male detainee.

Further photographs are said to depict sexual assaults on prisoners with objects including a truncheon, wire and a phosphorescent tube.

Maj Gen Taguba’s internal inquiry into the abuse at Abu Ghraib, included sworn statements by 13 detainees, which, he said in the report, he found “credible based on the clarity of their statements and supporting evidence provided by other witnesses.”

Among the graphic statements, which were later released under US freedom of information laws, is that of Kasim Mehaddi Hilas in which he says: “I saw [name of a translator] ******* a kid, his age would be about 15 to 18 years. The kid was hurting very bad and they covered all the doors with sheets. Then when I heard screaming I climbed the door because on top it wasn’t covered and I saw [name] who was wearing the military uniform, putting his **** in the little kid’s ***…. and the female soldier was taking pictures.”

The translator was an American Egyptian who is now the subject of a civil court case in the US.

Three detainees, including the alleged victim, refer to the use of a phosphorescent tube in the sexual abuse and another to the use of wire, while the victim also refers to part of a policeman’s “stick” all of which were apparently photographed.

From the Taguba Report - originally published in 2004 - we know that a translator named Abu Hamid committed sodomy on prisoners under the supervision - and with the participation - of several soldiers. One of the prisoners sodomized may have been Hilas, who also reported sexual abuse with a "phosphoric light". Hilas describes all of these events being photographed. Here is Hilas' sworn affidavit, which was part of the Taguba Report.

Other prisoners, such as Mustafa Jassim Mustafa, also confirmed in sworn declarations rape with a "phosphoric light".

Hilas also alleges sodomy by military personnel of an Iraqi boy. Given that Taguba says that he has seen the photographs corroroborating the other portions of Hilas' and the other prisoners' testimony, Hilas' statements regarding the sodomy of the boy are quite credible.

The head of the prison blamed top military and civillian leaders "for the methods that were used to humiliate detainees".

I"m going to agree that it has nothing to do with "gays in the military". Because women were raped as well as men. So, we would likewise have to say, "See, we cannot have heteros in the army - those men raped women". So, the discussion of gays in the military, to me, has no bearing on this matter. It was about our President - Bush - and other high ranking officials promoting this behavior and allowing it. Those people were following orders. It's no excuse for their behavior - but the rot goes all the way to the top on this, imo. People at high levels should be prosecuted. I think Bush should be prosecuted... and go straight down from there through all the ranks, imo.

Torture during war. My God, what will they think of next. You do understand the concept of war right? They are trying to kill you before you kill them. I marvel at you arm chair quaterbacks in the states who have no idea what the Hell a war really is. Wars should be fought in as little time as possible while inflicting as much damage on the enemy as possible including torture. Get your heads out of the dark place where they are hiding, and get a grip on war and peace with a quick peace being what we want.

You Obamatrons might want to look at this. Regarding shooting people point blank, I believe we are prosecuting any service member who is accused of such an act.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is very upset that Lesson Three is again in force, and made his displeasure known (HT Politico) in reaction to a UK Telegraph report alleging that photos from the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq “include images of apparent rape and sexual abuse”:

“That news organization has completely mischaracterized the images,” Whitman had said. “None of the photos in question depict the images that are described in that article.”

Gibbs also cautioned reporters against the reliability of the British press. “I want to speak generally about some of reports I’ve witnessed over the past few years in the British media and in some ways I’m surprised it filtered down,” Gibbs said.

“Let’s just say that if I wanted to look up, if I wanted to read a writeup today of how Manchester United fared last night in the Champions League Cup, I might open up a British newspaper,” he continued.

“If I was looking for something that bordered on truthful news, I’m not sure that would be the first stack of clips I picked up.”

In the Telegraph story, Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, who conducted an investigation of the treatment of detainees at Iraq’s American-run Abu Ghraib prison, is quoted as saying, “These pictures show torture, abuse, rape and every indecency” and supporting the president’s decision not to release them.

"see what happens when you let gays in the military? 'straight men have absolutely no interest in sex with a man. it just doesn't happen."

i suppose a woman being raped is of no consequence to you, anonymous. should we throw all "straight" men out of the military too while we're at it? there was a woman being raped by a man in the description too.

also, instances of "straight" man-on-man rape in wartime are as old as war itself. i guess killing people can make you aggressive.

I think what bothers me most / are the indifferent mocking comments. As a nation we were supposed to be 'the light' a beacon to others brutalized by depraved sadistic regimes. War robs men of all sense of respect - decency - and self control. What we've never heard discussed about these prisoners are that MANY (including many young people) were farmers, villagers, etc - turned in by various opposing tribes for that $5000 BONUS a fortune in this wasteland. Imagine your boy subjected to this - does that make it different. I feel sick/ sick that we appear to be losing all reverence for life.

spectre you're an idiot. simplevtruth serum combined with exctasy would be enough to get REAL intelligence.........we were "at war" in the 1940s too-guess what? WE WON THAT WAR, with NO TORTURE. Our enemies, who DID TORTURE-LOST. moron

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